


GUARDIAN ANGELA

by The_New_Kid



Series: Maya [1]
Category: CSI: NY
Genre: F/M, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_New_Kid/pseuds/The_New_Kid
Summary: Flack’s past is revealed as his childhood friend shows up in a case.
Relationships: Don Flack/Jamie Lovato, Don Flack/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Maya [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892551
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

The last of the autumn leaves blew off the now naked tree, sailing past an old heritage building and across a marquee that proudly announced:

THE MAYA ALONZO QUARTET

Friday November 22 and Saturday November 23

On stage, Maya stood confidently singing, a petite, shapely woman in her early thirties who was neither rotund, nor was she svelte. Dressed in a long, sparkling gold and black gown, she sang intricate jazz phrases with ease. Her voice was larger than life, reminiscent of a bygone era. Flowers surrounded her hair, which was built up on her head, with ringlets randomly hanging down framing her most alluring feature, her large ebony eyes.

As the song came to an end, the audience rose to their feet, clapping appreciatively. One woman felt splashes on her face as she applauded, and stared at her white gloves, now stained red. Horrified, she glanced up at the ceiling, searching for the source, when a large, dark drop came down toward her and landed on her forehead. Maya looked over startled, as a blood curdling scream was emitted, and the woman fainted onto the blood-soaked floor.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Detective Jamie Lovato sighed. She had been at the scene of many homicides, but the victims that were found alone in dirty alleyways in the bad part of town were always the most tragic. Especially this one. She seemed out of place. Jamie wouldn’t have been so surprised had the victim been a call girl, or a homeless woman, but this girl was neither.

Head CSI Mac Taylor put down his kit and regarded the body, quickly ascertaining that the pretty brunette was in her late thirties, quite well dressed with black jeans, a designer jacket and black platform sneakers. Not the type of woman that usually wandered the streets at night. The fact that she still had her jeans on told him that this probably wasn’t a sexual assault, but he always made a habit of requesting a rape kit just in case.

“No purse in sight,” Jamie noted. “Robbery?” She asked, almost to herself. But they didn’t take the expensive black jacket. Maybe they just didn’t like the blood soaking it from the two stab wounds in her torso.

Mac put on rubber gloves, crouched down and patted the pockets. The right side revealed a small wallet and house keys. “Not a robbery.” He told Jamie as he handed her the wallet.

“Angela Alexis.” She read out loud, “Greenwich Village address.” She looked down at the girl. “What’s she doing in Washington Heights?”

“It’s a quick train ride away.” Mac surmised, “Especially at this time of night.” He went through the girl’s pockets again. “No Metro Card.”

“Even if there was, it still doesn’t explain why she’s in this neighbourhood all by herself.”

“She wasn’t by herself,” Mac said dryly, taking note of a set of footprints in the blood. “the killer was with her.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lieutenant Don Flack escorted Jo Danville, senior CSI to the scene as he explained, “I’ve asked around and apparently the victim is Charles Martin, Maya Alonzo’s manager. This is one of the oldest theatres in New York, and the dressing rooms are situated above the stage. That’s where we found him, with his neck slashed.”

“Is that who was taken away in the ambulance outside ?”

“No, he died.” He said, matter-of-factly as they stopped in front of the stairs, “That was the audience member that ended up taking a swim in his blood.” He gave a sardonic smirk. “She was pretty traumatized, kept asking about who to send the dry cleaning bill to.” He brushed his short dark hair back with his hand and drove his index finger into his temple in frustration. “Of course no one saw anything.”

“Junior!!” Came a voice from the other side of the room as a small figure ran across the stage, high heels and all and hurled herself at him, burying her face in his jacket.

“Junior?” Asked Jo as she raised her eyebrows at Flack.

“She’s the only one that calls me that.” Flack answered, a little embarrassed. He pulled back slightly and looked at the pretty Eurasian girl. “You OK, Maya?” He could feel her body trembling.

Maya nodded as she looked into his steel blue eyes, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m the detective on this case.”

“Look at you!” She smiled as she let go of her embrace, happy to see a familiar face. “A detective? Really? The last time I saw you, you were heading for the Police Academy!”

“That was a while ago, now.” He hesitated a moment as he saw Jo looking at them quizzically. “Maya, this is my colleague Jo Danville. Jo, this is Maya Alonzo. We grew up together.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jo said with her soft southern drawl, “I’ll bet you have some stories to tell about him...”

Maya looked at Flack, who shook his head, mouthing ‘No’. “I’m afraid if I tell you some embarrassing stories about him, he’ll tell more embarrassing ones about me!” She smiled.

A uniformed policeman indicated to Jo. “I’d better to get to the body...” She quickly excused herself, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Maya heaved a heavy sigh, “Thanks.”

“I need you to make a statement, do you want to go to the precinct?” Flack asked as his keen eye observed everyone around watching them, “Away from prying eyes?”

“I don’t know what I can tell you, I was on stage when it happened.”

“Were you two close?”

“Yeah, I suppose, he’s been with me since the beginning.” She answered, as her publicist joined them. “This is Jen.” She introduced them. “Jen, Detective Flack.”

“We’ve spoken already.” Flack nodded. “Jen found the...” he cleared his throat, “Charles.”

Maya’s eyes flashed over to Flack with sudden realization. Even his attempt at discretion couldn’t soften the truth. She took a deep breath as she asked her publicist, “Is it OK if I go with him to the precinct?”

“Go ahead, there’s nothing more we can do here, I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”

“Just a question before we go,” Flack turned back to Maya, “do you have a stalker?”

Maya laughed, “NO!” She said, adamantly.

“Yes.” Disclosed her publicist.

“What?”

“We didn’t tell you, but you’ve been getting letters and presents for the past few months.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“They were...disturbing.”

“How disturbing?”

“Well, first of all, the letters were... graphic...” she reluctantly disclosed, “ and they were usually left in the dressing room, or in your hotel room.”

“In MY hotel room? But it’s locked! I don’t remember seeing anything!”

Jen shrugged, “We usually swept the rooms while you were onstage.”

Flack brought out the pad and pen tucked in his suit jacket, “Was there anything tonight?”

“No, which was weird, because rose petals were spread out in the dressing room as usual, but no letter or present.”

“Rose petals?” Maya repeated, now completely unnerved.

“Now you know why we didn’t tell you.”

“Did you ever report it?” Flack kept taking notes, non-plussed.

“Yeah, but it’s happened in several cities, and it’s too disrupting for us to report it every time.” Jen watched Maya as she turned away, distraught. “In retrospect, maybe that wasn’t the best idea, but it was Charles’ decision.”

“It was a decision that might have gotten him killed.” Flack surmised, as he closed his pad and placed it back in his pocket.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Jamie regarded the apartment buildings around them and took a deep breath. “Well, now’s as good a time as any to start canvassing.”

“Take Lindsay and Danny with you,” Mac called after her, “There are a lot of doors.”

Jamie joined them at the front door of one of the apartment buildings. “So?” She asked, as the they looked up at the canyon of buildings surrounding them. “What do you think? Do we take all the floors together or separately?”

“Strength in numbers.” Lindsay sighed, as they began to go methodically from floor to floor.

Most of the tenants had been asleep, very unhappy about being woken up and had no problem voicing their displeasure. Those, of course who weren’t delighted with the appearance of a lone female knocking on their door in the middle of the night. That is, until Lindsay and Jamie presented their badges. And Danny. He was undeniably reminded that some single women could be just as aggressive as men.

Working from left to right, they would convene at the stairwell and continue to the next floor together. When they reached the fifth floor, they fanned out. Jamie took the first apartment, Danny was on the other side, and Lindsay was at the second door. “Detective Lovato, NYPD. There’s been an incident. Do you know this woman?” Jamie showed the tall bald man in Apt 501 Angela’s driver’s licence with all the pertinent information blocked by her thumb.

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” The man answered. “She’s the girlfriend of my neighbour, John.” He strained around his doorframe to point down the hallway. “Two doors over. Apt 503.”

“Did you hear anything out of the ordinary this evening?”

“Can’t say that I did.” The man asked, “Is there something wrong, Detective?”

Jamie couldn’t help feeling that he was being overly polite. This was often a false sense of concern created by nefarious individuals that had something to hide, pretending to be forthright to throw authorities off. “What’s your name?”

“Matt Johnston, ma’am.”

Alarm bells rang in her head, but she decided to tell him the truth anyways, partially to gauge his reaction. “Well, Matt Johnston, Angela Alexis was found stabbed in the alleyway an hour ago.”

The shock on his face seemed genuine. “Oh, no! She seemed like a nice kid.” He exclaimed.

“DID you know her?” she reiterated.

“Not really.” Was the reply. “I ran into her in the elevator once or twice.”

Jamie thanked him and tapped Lindsay on the shoulder as she walked by.

Lindsay wrapped up her interview and joined Jamie as she knocked on the next door. There was a long pause. Jamie knocked again. “NYPD.” She called out. They heard the bolt unlocking, and the door began to open. Too slowly. Jamie kept her hand on her gun, ready for trouble.

A shock of unkempt blonde hair accompanied by an unshaven face greeted them. “Hullo?” John asked with unfocused bloodshot eyes.

The two women glanced at each other with a knowing look. “I’m Detective Lovato and this is Detective Messer, may we come in?” As they showed him their badges.

John bent down, weaving as he stared at their I.D., first at Jamie’s and then at Lindsay’s. A smirk appeared on his face as he stated, “Mess around, mess around.” Nonsensically as he opened the door a little wider and backed up unsteadily as they entered the dark room. He flicked on a light switch covered with dirty fingerprints, revealing a blanket halfway sliding off a bare mattress. A pile of wet bedsheets lay on the filthy cigarette scorched floor.

“Do you know Angela Alexis?” Jamie asked.

“Angela.” John repeated, his voice slurred. “She was here but she’s gone now.”

“Why was she here?” Lindsay inquired.

He pointed vaguely at a bag amongst the dirty dishes on the kitchen table. “She brought me groceries.” Parking himself on the stained mattress, he lit a cigarette.

“We have some bad news...” Lindsay touched Jamie on the arm and stopped her with a small shake of her head. “We’d like to bring you down to the precinct to answer more questions.” Jamie continued as if that was what she had meant to say all along, realizing they would have to sober him up first before he could even comprehend Angela’s fate.

“OK,” He got up with the cigarette still hanging out of his mouth and stumbled over to the table. “I just have to put my groceries away.” He mumbled as he opened the refrigerator and crammed the grocery bag in without bothering to unpack it in amongst the dozens of beer cans already stuffed into it.

Danny came in the door just as they were about to leave. “The neighbour across the hall says that he’s witnessed several altercations between the victim...” he glanced at John, “and this upstanding member of society.”

“Who are you?” John asked.

“Detective Messer.”

John looked from Lindsay to Danny, amused. “Mess around, mess around.” He reiterated.

“Well,” Lindsay said, unimpressed, as they led him to the squad car. “at least he can still recognize word association.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Jo knelt down beside the body of Charles Martin as Sheldon Hawkes came through the door.

“Arterial spray.” she determined as she glanced at the splatter along the wall.

Sheldon took note of drips that landed on some rose petals on the floor. “These petals were placed here before the murder.” He assessed, “it looks like the killer was caught in the middle of something.” He brought out his camera and began to take pictures of the scene. “There’s a record jacket here.” He told Jo as he kept taking photos.

Jo looked over, and recognized the name. “That’s our singer. Flack’s friend.”

“I didn’t think Flack had any friends outside of work.” Sheldon quipped. “None of us do.”

“Don’t be jealous,” Jo chuckled, “they were friends when they were kids. She calls him Junior!”

“Junior! And he lets her get away with it?” He laughed. “I’ve gotta meet this girl! So why is her picture on an album? They don’t press vinyl any more.”

“Some groups do, especially jazz bands. They’re more exclusive, collector‘s items.” She began to look around. “Usually autographed.” Jo picked up a piece next to a pile of shattered vinyl. “Here we go... and this broken piece has blood on it...” It dawned on her as she examined it. “This was a weapon of opportunity.”

Sheldon took a picture, and put his camera down. “Rose petals, broken records, this is no run-of-the-mill murder.”

“Nothing’s run-of-the-mill, Sheldon,” she reminded him. “When a someone’s been killed, nothing’s run-of-the-mill.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lindsay watched John through the two-way mirror. “Forty-five? Really?” She looked closer, trying to imagine him being forty-five. He seemed at least ten years older. His eyes were sunken in, and there were layers of bags underneath.

“That’s what it says on his driver’s licence.” Jamie replied as she picked up his file and walked into the interrogation room with Lindsay close behind. “You didn’t drink your coffee.” She said to him.

John peered into the still full cup with half-opened eyes. “I need cream.”

Lindsay, who had enough of his antics, picked up the cup and placed it down in front of him, letting it splash on the table and subsequently on him. “Look, you’re in a lot of trouble, you might want to sober up before we start.”

John leered at them, taking a reluctant swig of the bitter lukewarm liquid grimacing as he swallowed. “You wanna tell me why I’m here?”

Jamie and Lindsay looked at each other, deciding what to tell him. He was clearly still not lucid enough to be of any use. “We’re going to have to hold you downstairs until you sober up.” She informed him as they left the interrogation room. “Then we’ll talk.” Once outside, Lindsay turned to Jamie. “What did Angela Alexis ever see in him?”

“Maybe he wasn’t always like this.” Jamie shrugged. “Maybe he’s a great guy when he’s sober.”

“He’d have to be a prince of a guy.” Lindsay murmured under her breath. ”Do you think Sid has anything for us, yet?”

“Probably not until morning, but I’ll stop by the morgue on my way out anyways.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sunken down on the uncomfortable wooden chair, Maya sat, bored, at Flack’s desk as she waited for him to print out a copy of the statement she had just given him. Lindsay came into the precinct and approached her apprehensively. “Maya Alonzo?” She held out her hand, “Hi, I’m Lindsay Messer, one of... Junior’s... friends, and this is my husband, Danny.” Danny appeared beside her with his hand extended, as well.

“Hi!” Maya shook their hands as Flack strolled back to the desk.

“Oh, come on, you guys!” He cried out as he turned back around.

“Hold on,” Danny grabbed him before he could leave, “Pull up a chair, this should be good!”

Another friend appeared. “Hi I’m Sheldon.” He too shook Maya’s hand as she regarded everyone suddenly gathered around her curiously.

“Don’t you guys have work to do?” Flack asked as Danny plunked him down on his chair, reluctantly.

“We’re off the clock.” Lindsay turned back to Maya. “So, how long have you known Flack?”

“Since we were babies. We lived in the same building. My mom and his mom were friends, and she used to bring him over to play.”

“Awww, play date...” Danny kidded Flack, “It doesn’t get any better than that...” Flack shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

“Why do you call him Junior?”

“That’s easy,” Danny chimed in, “Donald Flack, JUNIOR?”

Maya laughed, “Yeah, that and I’m older than him.”

“By FOUR months,” Flack remarked, contemptuously.

“Four months is a big deal when you’re eight!” She retorted.

“Settle down, kids,” Danny warned.

“What else did you do?” Lindsay prompted.

“Well, we used to play cops and robbers with the other kids, and he would capture me and tie me up,” she continued as Flack closed his eyes and groaned, “and stuff me in the closet. He wouldn’t let me out until I kissed him.”

“Really?” Lindsay looked at Flack, and grinned from ear to ear, enjoying every moment.

“Yeah, he was my first kiss! Although I wasn’t his, not by a long shot!” she pouted, “That was Susan Putney. But she just gave up and then went back to her dolls. I gave him a run for his money. He would chase me across the rooftops, jumping from one to another, you know how there’s like a two foot gap between them...”

“Yeah, I KNOW!” Danny piped up, “so that’s why you’re so good at it, you’ve had practice since you were a kid!” Flack stayed quietly sulking, giving him a dirty look.

“Well, one day, I wanted to make the big leap like the boys. It didn’t look THAT far.”

Detective Jamie Lovato came over to investigate the crowd gathering at Flack’s desk. “What’s happening here?”

“This is Maya, Flack’s childhood friend,” Sheldon replied, as he turned back to Maya while Jamie made herself comfortable, “go on, how far was it?”

“I don’t know,” she looked over at Flack, “Three, four...”

“It was a good six feet.” He clarified for her.

“So I back up, and start to run towards it, and I hear this NOOOOOO! And he tackles me! We end up in the emergency room. I still have the scar!” She showed everyone the three-inch scar on her arm. “Right through!” They all winced. 

“I saved your life that day. You never would have made it.”

“For the record, I WOULD have made it, and you dislocated my shoulder for no reason at all!” She shot back, as her long discarded Queens accent began to appear.

“Come on, kids,” Danny said, reviling at being mediator, “Play nice, now.”

“What else did you do?” Lindsay perched her head in her hands, settling in for another story.

Maya shrugged, “He kinda took me under his wing when my mom died, and I hung around his family a lot... I still remember the look on your mom’s face when she caught us playing Doctor.” she laughed loudly, “I thought she was going to have a heart attack right then and there!”

Jamie perked up and looked at Flack accusingly, “Doctor?” 

Maya couldn’t help noticing the looks between them. “Just to be clear, I was the doctor.” She added quickly. “His mom wouldn’t let us see each other for a month, after that.”

“I had to say SO many Hail Marys that Sunday!” Flack added, “Catholic...” 

“How old were you?” Lindsay couldn’t help asking her.

“Ummm, seven... teen?”

“Six. We were SIX!!” Flack insisted as he got up, abruptly. “Ok, that’s enough guys, you’ve had your fun. I have to drive her back to her hotel, now.”

“Awww, one more story...” Lindsay protested.

“NO.” Flack helped Maya put her coat on as she got up.

“It was nice meeting you all!” 

“Maybe when you get back, we can play Doctor...” Jamie suggested, aside to Flack, as he left the room.

“Thanks, a LOT!” He barked at a bewildered Jo facetiously, as they passed her in the hallway.  
____________________________________________________________________________________

Jamie entered the morgue just as the coroner, Sid, was packing up to leave. “I’m glad I caught you.” She told him. “Did you manage to make a preliminary autopsy?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “It was just as we suspected, cause of death was exsanguination. That’s not all. There was also vaginal tearing and semen present.”

“Vaginal tearing? Do you think she was raped?”

“I wasn’t able to determine for sure. It wasn’t too severe, so it’s possible that it was just a result of very spirited sex.” He closed his brief case as he put on his coat. “I sent a sample to the lab for analysis.”

“OK, was there anything else that stood out?” 

“No, it was all pretty standard. No bruising to speak of, so she wasn’t in any altercation, except of course for the stab wounds... And that was made with the right hand, which leaves ninety percent of the population as your suspect pool.”

Jamie sighed. “Alright, thanks, Sid.” He nodded as he left the morgue.

____________________________________________________________________________________

“That’s really weird.” Jen could hear Maya’s voice say as she opened her door. “I’m sorry Jen, did I wake you?”

“No, I was waiting for you to knock.”

“My key doesn’t work.”

“I know. I switched your room due to... you know...” she explained as she handed Maya the new key card. “You’re in 2558. I’ve moved all your stuff already so you’re good to go.”

Maya smiled. “Thanks. You remember Lieutenant Flack?” Jen looked up at him looming behind her and nodded. “So what are we going to do for tomorrow?”

“The concert’s going on as planned, they’re sending Caleb over from the New York office.”

“Caleb?”

“You remember, short, young guy? Red hair?”

“Oh, right, Caleb...” She groaned. “I hate Caleb. He’s so nit-picky. It’s bad enough when he shows up on the road, but to have him around all the time?”

“Well, he’s just taking over for Charles for the time being.” Jen remarked sympathetically, “You can handle it.”

“Are you sure we should go ahead with the concert? Won’t that look kinda calloused?”

“We’ll do a moment of silence or something at the beginning, it’ll be OK.”

“Alright, thanks again!” She moved two doors down and tried the key. “You want to come in for a drink?” She offered Flack. “You’re not on duty any more, are you?”

“I could stay for a beer,” He noticed Maya staying close to the door as they went in, looking around nervously. “You want me to check the room?” He offered.

She looked up at him and nodded, hating herself for her weakness. “I feel like such a GIRL!”

“Hey, it’s a legitimate threat,” Flack emerged from the bedroom, “there’s no shame in being cautious.”

“Thanks.” Maya opened the mini bar fridge. “Guinness?”

“What else?”

“Why did I even bother asking?” She watched him as he opened the bottle. “Wait, wait, wait!” She opened her can of San Pellegrino. “Ok, NOW!!” They both guzzled half of it together and stopped, letting out a long chain of burps, as they laughed joyously. “I can’t remember the last time I did that!” 

“I think we were eight.”

“No, I’m sure we were a lot older than that!” Maya started to calm down and sighed, looking at him with wonderment. “I can’t believe you’re really here!”

“Me neither.” Flack admitted, “It’s like we’ve never been apart!”

Maya giggled, “We had some great times. How’s Samantha?”

“She’s doing good!” Flack sat down on the couch, “we hit a rough spot for a while but she’s doing well, now.”

“Nice, she was always a cool kid.” 

“I suppose, for a little sister.”

Maya had a thought, “Say, can you hang for a few minutes?”

“Sure, why?”

“I really want to take a shower, and to tell you the truth, I am a little unnerved.”

Flack tried to ease her mind. “I could call for a uniform to be stationed downstairs, if you want.”

“You can do that for me?”

“I’m a detective, it’s in my wheelhouse.”

Maya laughed, “That’s Ok, I’ll be fine after my shower.” As she headed for the bathroom Flack got up and looked out the balcony window, finishing his beer.

____

Several minutes later, she reappeared. “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve changed into something more comfortable.” Jumping onto the couch, she was finally eye to eye with him, wearing a dark plaid shirt she wore as pyjamas, and tempting him with another bottle of beer. Flack smiled to himself. With her hair all wet and no makeup on, she was once again the kid he remembered so fondly.

“You didn’t shake it, did you?” She was always doing things like that, sometimes inadvertently, sometimes not.

“Of course not!”

She didn’t seem quite sincere. “Is there another one in there?” He glanced over at the mini bar.

“You don’t trust me?”

“‘Course not.”

“It’s the only one left.” she sat down on the couch watching him with her big brown eyes, amused, waiting. He sighed and cautiously opened the bottle, keeping one eye closed in case it sprayed him, but nothing happened. He could hear her laughing as he took a sip of the ice cold liquid. “You should really work on those trust issues, Junior!”

“About that,” he sat down on the couch and put his arm around her, “maybe you should keep the Junior stuff to a minimum when you’re talking to my colleagues.”

“Really? They don’t seem the judgemental type to me.”

“Judgemental or not, they’re never going to let me live it down as it is.”

“Huh, you’d think a third grade detective would command more respect than that.”

“First grade detective, Maya,” Flack corrected her, “I’m a first grade detective.”

“Whatever...No matter what, you’ll always be my hero, Junior.” she could hear his heartbeat as she snuggled into him, “You were always looking out for me.” Her mind drifted to a time, long ago.

____

The trophy fell off the mantle and onto the floor with a loud clatter. Wide eyed, nine year olds Maya and Junior looked over at the bedroom, as a roar came from within, and then to each other before running out of the apartment as fast as they could.

“I’m not afraid of him!” Junior said, defiantly.

Maya pushed him out of the doorway with both hands. “Well, I am!” She started to go, but noticed that he was still staring at the closed door, seething. “Tag, you’re it!” She called out as she hit him and ran. He chased after her as she jumped down the stairs laughing, and out of the apartment building. When he caught up to her, she was half a block down sitting on the front stoop.

“What’s the matter?”

“I think I’m bleeding.”

Junior picked up her hands and looked at them, frantically. “Where?” She looked down, and he followed her gaze to the dark spot between her legs. “We’ve got to get you to a doctor!” He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her up.

“No, I...I just want to sit for a while.” she said, “It’ll stop.” He sat down beside her, and she put her head on his shoulder. “When I grow up, I’m going to go so far away,” she cried, “I’ll NEVER come back!”

___

“I should have done more.” Flack said, remorsefully.

Maya sat up and faced him. “We were KIDS...we didn’t know what to do,” She shook her head, “besides, we sensed something was wrong, but we didn’t know it was ILLEGAL...”

“I could have told my Dad...”

“And then what? Best case scenario, he would have gone to jail, and I would have been put in a foster home, and we’d never see each other again... or worse.” Flack looked at her, his blue eyes questioning. “If my dad found out it was you that turned him in, when he made bail he’d have gone after you. We wouldn’t be sitting here today. You were the best thing to happen to me, Junior... Flack... Don. I’m never going to get used to this,” she mused. “You were the only person that believed in me. The only one that encouraged me to sing.”

“Yeah, but I never thought you’d...” his voice trailed off.

“Make it?”

“Never come back.” She couldn’t break away from his intense gaze as he continued on, “you didn’t even come back for his funeral.”

“I couldn’t.” Then she realized what he was saying. “Did you go?” He nodded. “But why? You had no love for the man,”

“I was hoping you’d be there.”

She sighed, almost wishing she had gone after all. “I was in Albuquerque...or Phoenix...It doesn’t matter where I was, I wasn’t coming back. I would never have been able to step back into that apartment.” She hesitated, debating whether or not to continue, “you know, when you and Samantha went in for dinner every night, I’d sit on the front stoop for hours, waiting until I was pretty sure he’d passed out before I went in and then I’d get out of there first thing in the morning before he woke up... but sometimes that didn’t work and he’d get up in the middle of the night and catch me...”

___

Twelve year old Maya crept into the apartment and went directly to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and smiled as it revealed two Chinese takeout boxes that weren’t there earlier. They were still half full, she thought to herself as she quickly opened them, and grabbed a spoon from the dish rack as quietly as possible. As an extra bonus, it wasn’t completely cold yet, so there was no need to risk putting it in the microwave. Still standing at the kitchen counter, she shovelled the rice and delicious morsels of sweet and sour pork into her mouth. He always ordered the same thing, so she had grown up thinking that Chinese food only consisted of rice and pork, and the occasional egg roll.

“I’ve caught a tiny mouse!” Came a voice from behind her. 

Maya stiffened as she felt a hand reaching into her pants. With her hands full, she couldn’t push him away, not that it would have made any difference. He was always too strong. “I’m eating.” She tried to dissuade him, but he just took the takeout box from her hand and put it on the counter out of reach. 

“Come over here,” he said, leading her over to the couch, “I have something better for you to eat.”

___

“He was always so proud of his stupid fucking innuendoes.” Flack was taken aback, Maya never swore. “Like it was some sort of private joke between the two of us.” She concluded, “I guess the joke was on me.” 

“You never told me this.”

“I know. I knew what you would do if you found out.”

Flack sat up and hugged her. “I should have seen the signs.” He kissed the top of her head softly. “I would have made sure you had dinner with us every night.” He regarded her fondly as he added, “and I definitely would have told my Father.” 

“Not your fault. It was my call.” She wiped away a tear, “Say, don’t you have to get going? It’s getting late,” she quickly added, “not that I have any qualms about you sticking around.”

“I could stay if you like.”

“And what? Sleep on the floor like you used to when you snuck me into your room?”

“I forgot about that...”

“Besides, your girlfriend’s waiting for you, and she’s got a gun.”

“I’m good at dodging bullets.” He quipped, as they settled back down on the couch. 

Maya took a swig of her drink and let out another loud burp.

“Wow. How did we not end up together?” Flack joked.

“Because I was always one of the boys to you.” Maya laughed, “AND you never asked me.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Would you have if I had?”

“And what? Be a cop’s girl? I saw what it did to your Mom.”

“What do you mean?”

“I watched her, Junior. I watched her jump every time the phone rang, and how worried she was whenever your Dad was late. Do you remember that time... no, probably not... I think it was her birthday, and he was a couple of hours late because he had stopped to buy her flowers and a present.” She giggled, “They were so cute, I always wished... well, you know what I wished... Anyways, she had been so worried when he didn’t get home on time, that it didn’t matter what he had done, when he walked through the door, she just cried and cried... That’s why when you entered the Police Academy, I didn’t bother to stick around. I never thought it was fair to live like that, always worried, never knowing, it’s not fair to put ANYONE through that. Not your best friend, and ESPECIALLY not a spouse.”

“I never thought of it that way.”

Maya suddenly regretted being so candid. “Look, don’t listen to me. What do I know about relationships? Look at where I am.” She quickly changed the subject. “Hey, I’ll tell you what, when you retire and I become rich and famous, I’ll hire you as my bodyguard. OK?”

“You got it.”

“That is, providing, we’re still talking to each other by then!” She laughed.

“Always.” He raised his bottle for a toast.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, John sat back in the interrogation room, drinking yet another coffee. “How long have you and Angela been together?” Jamie asked him. Finally sober, he was beginning to morph back into appearing his real age.

“About ten years,” Was the answer.

“Ten years?” Lindsay was surprised. “And you don’t live together?”

John shrugged. “She says she needs her space. She hates being with me when I drink. Why are you asking me about her? Is she alright?”

“No.” Jamie told him, bluntly, always a believer in ripping the bandaid off as quickly as possible. “She was found murdered in your alleyway last night.”

John turned pale as the news sunk in. “Oh, my God. No!” He slammed himself back in his chair. “How did it happen?”

“She was stabbed.”

He buried his face in his hands. “This is all my fault. I was too drunk to walk her to her car.”

“Car?” Jamie and Lindsay looked at each other. “We didn’t see a car.” 

“It was parked right outside.” He elaborated, “A candy-apple red convertible mustang.”

“I would have certainly seen that. Let’s put an APB out on the vehicle.” Jamie confided to Lindsay. “Why was she there so late?”

“She likes... liked to come by at night, it’s the only time she can find parking close by.”

“Did you have sex before she left?” Jamie changed the subject. 

“We haven’t had sex for... quite a while.”

“I hate to tell you then, the coroner mentioned that she may have been raped.” She informed him. “We’re going hold you until we get the results.”

“No!” The new piece of information seemed too much for him as he broke down, unable to talk, consumed with guilt and grief. “I loved her.”

“And you still let her go out by herself, in that neighbourhood after midnight?” Lindsay scoffed, as they exited the room. “Chivalry really is dead.” They left him there, with his head in his hands, despondent and alone with only his thoughts and regret to keep him company. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________  


Maya was just putting her key card into the slot when Flack came out of Jen’s suite and strode quickly toward her. “Junior!” She called out, “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.” He looked around, quickly, “In private.”

Maya handed him her coffee tray and quickly slid the card out of the slot, unlocking the hotel door. “It doesn’t get more private than this!” she suggested as they went inside.

“Why didn’t you tell me you and your manager fought last week?” He chastised her, “Why did I have to hear it from Jen?”

“Of course we fought!” Her voice trailed off, “We always fought.”

“What did you fight about?”

“That time? He was upset because I would invite fans up to my hotel room... on occasion.” She watched as Flack raised his eyebrows. “Oh, don’t be such a Boy Scout Junior! Look around you, this suite is great, but there’s only you and me here. And when you go, I’m by myself.” She chided, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to fill an eight hundred seat theatre only to come back to your hotel room alone? I just wanted company, and if sex is a part of that, then so be it.” She continued with her justification, “It’s not like it was one-sided, you know.”

“How many fans?”

“I don’t know... I’m on the road 200 days a year, it adds up. What difference does it make?”

“Because that raises the suspect list from ten, to...”

Maya visibly recoiled. “Say it. I know you’re thinking it. Is it fifty? A hundred? Two hundred?” She challenged him, “I’m not going to let you slut-shame me, Junior. Where do you think I got it from? I watched you go through half the cheerleader squad in your senior year.” 

“That’s not the same thing,”

“Why? Because you’re a GUY?”

“No, because they weren’t complete strangers. What were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous that can be?”

She let out a long sigh. “It’s not like I didn’t try to stop... especially this one time when I lay there afterwards... thinking... I haven’t had dinner yet, and should I go out, or order room service... when he turns to me and asks ‘why me?’” She rolled her eyes. “DAMN, Junior! What was I supposed to say? Because you were there? Because you were convenient? That’s when I realized this meant more to them than it did to me... but I couldn’t pass it up, it was too easy.” She tried to rationalize it. “Look, they come on to ME.”

“I’m going to need names.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll just go get my little black book,” she said, sarcastically as she took off her coat. Then she remembered something. “Hang on, I do have some business cards...” she said as she went into the bedroom. There was a gasp. “Junior...” she called to him.

Flack ran in and followed her gaze to the bed, where a bouquet of roses lay. “Don’t touch anything.” He advised, as he took his phone out of his pocket.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Flack entered the CSI laboratory with a large garbage bag in his arms, Maya following close behind. He unveiled the flowers from the suite, along with the bedspread to Jo, who quickly quipped, “For me?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking, I even wrapped it!”

“I can see that!” She took the garbage bag and went over to the counter to analyze everything, as Maya went closer to the glass, waiving at Lindsay. 

Lindsay took off her safety goggles and met her at the corridor. “Hey, how’s it going?” 

“OK, I guess.” Maya shrugged. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I just got another ‘gift’. Jo’s testing it now.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Lindsay assured her, “Don’t worry, we’ll find out where they came from.” Maya didn’t look convinced. “Say, do you want to go to the coffee room with me? You can’t beat coffee from a machine.” She suggested, trying to ease her mind.

Maya smiled, and nodded. “OK.” She said, softly, as Lindsay indicated to Flack through the glass as to where they were heading.

When Flack joined them a few minutes later, they were laughing and talking like old friends. “I don’t know what I’ll do when she starts school next year,” Lindsay confessed.

“You talking about the baby?” He asked.

“She’s not a baby any more,” Maya chipped in, “she’s five!”

“Oh, now I feel old, I was there when she was born!” 

“Really?”

“Well, no, not actually in the room, but afterwards, yeah!” 

Maya turned back to Lindsay. “Are you going to have another one?”

Lindsay thought for a moment. “I’m already expecting, but now I don’t know if I have the energy!” She regarded Maya, “do you have any kids?”

“Oh, God, no!” She laughed. “I’m not ready for that kind of commitment! I can barely wake up before noon! Never mind feeding them, watering them, taking them for walks every day... When does Lucy start school?”

“She starts in September.”

“Right, of course.” Maya replied, feeling stupid.

“Did you guys go to the same school?”

“We only went to high school together, before that Don went to private school!”

“Private school...” Flack repeated with contempt, “it wasn’t private school, it was Catholic School.”

“Same diff, you wore a uniform, that spells private school to me!”

Lindsay smiled, “Oh, you must’ve been so CUTE in a school uniform!”

Flack raised his hands as if to say ‘what the heck’, “it was a shirt and shorts, hardly a uniform!”

“And a tie...” Maya added. “And he WAS cute!”

“OK,” Flack announced, getting up, “I need to take you into the precinct.”

Maya glanced up at him, “Are you going to book me, detective?”

“No, but you keep that up and I will. I’m just going to take your statement.”

“Again? You were there... can’t you just do it without me?”

“It doesn’t work that way, Maya.”

“I’ll be done in half an hour, I could come by and see you.” Lindsay offered.

“We won’t be that long.” Flack said, firmly.

“Awww, you never let me play with my friends!” Maya interjected.

“They’re not your friends,” Flack scolded mockingly as they left the Lab, “they’re mine, and I’d like to keep it that way.” The elevator opened as soon as he pressed the button, “Besides, they’re a bad influence.” Maya smiled and waved goodbye to Lindsay as the elevator doors closed.

As Lindsay walked back to her station, her computer sounded. She looked over at the screen and immediately picked up the phone. “We just got the results from CODIS,” she told the person on the other end, “looks like we’ve got a match, and you’ll never guess who it is!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Mac was about to knock on the apartment door when it opened suddenly, and a woman in her early forties appeared. Don and Mac watched her shoulders droop with disappointment at seeing two men in suits before her. “I’m not interested in any bibles today.” She said curtly, making a shooing gesture with her hand as she stepped out of her apartment. 

“Kate Swanson?” Flack flashed his badge, “NYPD, we’d like ask you a few questions.”

“About what?”

“The events surrounding your late husband’s death. Would you mind if we come in?”

“I’m in a hurry. And that was a couple of years ago. What could you possibly want to ask now?” 

“We can talk in the doorway, if you don’t mind your neighbours listening in,” Mac looked over his shoulder to his left, as a door quickly shut behind him.

“Alright,” Kate sighed as she let them into the living room. “Make it quick.”

“I’m Detective Flack, this is Detective Taylor,” Don took out his pad and pen. “I know this is difficult, but how did your husband die?”

“You know how he died, it’s in the police report.”

“I want to hear it in your words.”

“He was drunk, and he fell down the stairs outside.” Mac couldn’t help noticing there was no emotion in her voice.

Mac reached into his pocket and brought out a business card. “Is this your husband’s?”

Kate glanced over. “Yeah. I haven’t seen one of those since it happened. Where was it?”

“We’re not at liberty to say.” Flack explained.

“Was it that singer, Maya something? I heard she was in town again. She was on the list.”

Don and Mac exchanged glances. “On the list?” Asked Mac.

“You know, the list of celebrities he was allowed to screw if he ever had the chance.” She frowned, “not that I would call her a celebrity, she’s just a two bit lounge singer enjoying her fifteen minutes of fame.” 

Don tried hard to keep a poker face. “Do you know if he ever took advantage of it?”

“I know he went to her concert by himself and didn’t come back until four in the morning.” she shrugged, “What he was doing all that time, I couldn’t tell ya.”

Mac indicated to the front door with his eyes, and Don put his pad back into his suit pocket. “Thank you, Mrs. Swanson, we’ll let you know if we have any more questions.”

“Ms. Thompson.” She corrected as she ushered them to the door.

“I’m sorry?”

“I changed back to my maiden name.” She threw over her shoulder as she locked the front door behind her. “It’s Ms. Thompson now.” 

“Thank you, Ms. Thompson.” Don turned to Mac as he watched her quickly exiting down the hallway. “So what do you think?”

“I think the list got a lot shorter without his knowledge.” Mac answered, dryly.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Detective Lovato used the back of her flashlight to knock on Apt 501 with authority, and immediately stepped to the side. “NYPD,” she called out. Lindsay stood cautiously on the other side of the door, “we have a few questions, open up.”

Matt Johnston let out a deep breath and opened the door carefully, making sure he didn’t make any sudden moves. “How can I help you, Detectives?” He asked them. 

“You didn’t tell us you spent some time with Angela Alexis before she died.” 

“You didn’t ask. How did...”

“Your DNA showed up in CODIS. That’s what happens when you do a dime in Sing Sing.” Jamie explained as they walked into his apartment uninvited. “Why didn’t you tell us you had sex?”

“One thing you learn in the pen, ladies, is that you don’t go around volunteering information if you want to survive. Especially to the cops. If you want me to give you information, you need to ask me the questions directly.” The apartment was spotless. Everything was in order, which was very much in line with someone who had been recently released from incarceration. “And if you read my record, you must know that I wasn’t in for any sex crimes, I was popped for drug smuggling.”

“Which is why we’re giving you this house call, and you weren’t hauled into the station in cuffs for questioning.” Jamie replied, undaunted. “That still doesn’t tell us why you didn’t mention your relationship with Angela when we first saw you.”

“I didn’t think it was relevant. And I didn’t want to besmirch her reputation.” He reached for a cigarette. “Mind if I smoke?” He took their silence as permission. “It’s not good for a nice girl like that to be mixed up with the likes of me.”

“Besmirch?” Lindsay stifled a smile. “How did she end up becoming ‘mixed up’ with you?”

Matt took a deep drag of his cigarette before answering. “I’d run into her in the elevator all the time, and she was always upset, so I’d ask her how she and John were doing. I told her that I had been just like John in the past. I realize now that maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, because it was giving her false hope, you know? If a guy like me can find sobriety... I didn’t mention that I got sober in the pen.” He sat down took another drag. “Anyways, last night, I ran into her again, and she was crying, so I asked her if she wanted to talk. She came over and during our conversation she mentioned that although she had never acted on it, that she and John had an ‘agreement’, that if he was to insist on drinking, their relationship would have to be ‘open’. She was a free agent, able to sleep with whomever she wanted. Angela also told me that they hadn’t had sex for over three years. Hence the arrangement.” He stubbed out his cigarette. “This was all my fault, If I hadn’t kept her, maybe she’d still be alive today.”

“Do you think John found out?”

“The walls here are paper thin, Detective. When she... you know... I think God and the entire fifth floor heard her.”

“Is it possible John followed her out?”

“I doubt it. I walked her to the elevator. I didn’t go down with her because she didn’t want the cameras in the lobby catching us together at that time of night. Not that I blamed her. I saw her at the car from my window, but it was gone by the time you showed up.”

“Do you mind coming down to the precinct while we revise your statement?”

“Sure.” Matt reached for his coat. “You know, it’s too bad John never realized what an angel she was. A real guardian angel, always making sure he had food... I don’t know how he’s going to manage without her.”

“I don’t think he does, either.” Lindsay replied, almost feeling sorry for him, but not for long. “I guess he’ll have to work for it like everyone else.” 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m just saying....” Flack started as he escorted Maya home after a late lunch. “No judgement here, but maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping with married men.”

Maya regarded Flack “Now look who’s dispensing relationship advice!” She laughed. “Besides, how am I supposed to know they’re married unless they tell me?” She defended herself, “You do realize they don’t always wear a ring, yeah?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so adverse to getting a boyfriend, then!” He joked.

“On the road? The only choice I would have on the road would be Caleb!” She scoffed. “I can’t STAND Caleb! He always finds something wrong with everything I do. He even wants to go through my performance tonight before showtime! I’ve done the show a hundred times already, and he wants to go through it NOW? It’s a waste of time.” She scowled. “I wouldn’t go out with Caleb O’Connor if he was the last person on earth.”

“Well you’re not exactly making fans of the men’s wives. Tom Swanson’s widow says you’re just a two bit lounge singer that’s enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame.”

“She called me a WHAT?” Maya asked, as they turned the corner towards her hotel.

“A two bit...”

“Ok, I got it,” Maya interrupted, “and she’s right.” She sighed. 

“How’s that?”

“She’s not saying anything about me that I don’t tell myself every day.” Maya admitted, “I just got lucky, that’s all.” 

Maya saw Flack’s water bottle hit the ground and looked up at him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He began to draw his gun. “Get down, Jess!” He called out. She saw a woman with the corner of her eye holding a gun as he pushed her down onto the sidewalk. A loud noise sounded as a bullet whizzed past her head and embedded itself in the wall behind her. Flack got off a couple of shots, and then crouched down briefly to ask her if she was OK. Maya was barely able to nod before he disappeared across the street after the shooter, as police cars screamed toward her from the distance.

Don ran into the alleyway after Kate Thompson and pressed himself up against the wall as it reached the edge. Letting his Glock 19 lead as he turned the corner, he cautiously scanned down the alley, looking for any sign of her. Two officers jumped out of their cars, ran through the alley and joined him. He indicated for one of them to go in the opposite direction, while the other followed him. Kate was nowhere in sight.  
Then he saw it. A small blood trail, the directional drops pointing like an arrow past a pile of boxes in the corner, and then back again. “Kate Thompson?” Flack announced authoritatively, “We know you’re in there.” He aimed his gun at the centre of the pile. “Throw out the gun and come out with your hands up.”  
There was a stir within the boxes, and a small stainless steel pistol slid across the pavement stopping at his feet. As he picked it up the officer reached into the pile as Kate stood, clutching her bleeding shoulder. Pulling her roughly into the alleyway, Don secured his weapon and took out his handcuffs as he began his spiel. “Kate Thompson, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Maya Alonzo. You have the right to remain silent...”


	4. Chapter 4

“I found the keys on the ground, next to the car.” Dean Mitchell insisted. He slouched down on the chair, looking deceptively shorter than his wiry six-foot frame, sporting a fresh jagged scratch on his cheek. “Finders keepers.”

“And you just thought you would take it for a spin?” Mac asked, facetiously. “That doesn’t explain why a dead woman’s blood was all over your girlfriend Karen’s shoes.”

“OK, so we came through the alleyway, and she tripped over the body.” He insisted. “We didn’t want to get involved, so we high-tailed it out of there. That’s when I saw the keys. You gotta love key fobs.” He grinned up at Mac. “Imagine my surprise when it unlocked a convertible red mustang! Always wanted one of those!”

“Which is why you were still driving it this afternoon when the officers pulled you over.” Mac challenged him, “You didn’t think anyone would be looking for the car? That you should maybe ditch it like a smarter thief would?”

“I was on my way to the police station to turn it in.” He lied, contempt oozing from his lips. “I just wanted to show it to some friends, first.”

Mac looked at the two way mirror knowingly as he handed him a pen. “Why don’t you give me the names of those ‘friends’?” 

“Whatever clears me.” Dean picked up the pen with his left hand and began to write.

Jamie watched him disbelievingly on the other side of the two way mirror. “Left handed.” She noted, disappointed. “I would have bet my paycheque it was him.”

Lindsay looked down as her phone suddenly vibrated. “Danny says Flack’s been involved in a shooting.” She said as she read the message. “He’s back at the precinct with Maya now.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Maya sat at Flack’s desk once again, bored. “Junior,” she began, stifling a yawn. “Who’s Jess?”

“What?”

“You called me that on the street, just before you pushed me down.”

“Just an old friend.”

She could tell he was lying. “Who’s Jess?” She persisted.

“What are you...? Interrogating me, now?” He paused, debating what to tell her. “She was my girlfriend.”

“Was? Where is she now?”

“She died in the line of duty.” Maya could hear the sadness in his voice.

“You still love her.” She surmised. Flack shrugged. “Oh God, I’m so sorry Junior. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference. It was something I had to go through by myself.” Don looked up quickly as Lindsay and Danny came through the precinct doors, and groaned.

“I heard you were here again.” Lindsay gave Maya a look of concern as she sat down beside her. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah, the bullet missed me, but I was pretty rattled at first.”

“I can relate. It’s never fun to be shot at.”

“Oh, right, I forgot you go through this every day.”

“No, not every day,” Lindsay tried to lighten up the mood, “Maybe every second day.”

Maya smiled for the first time all afternoon. “You didn’t have to come down to check on me.”

“Purely selfish reasons,” Lindsay quipped, “I wanted to hear more about Flack’s childhood.”

“And I thought you were here for my well-being.” She teased. “Alright. Let’s see...” happy for the distraction, Maya sat pensively for a moment as Jamie arrived at her desk. “when he plays pool, does he use his right hand?”

Danny nodded.

“You know he’s left handed, don’t you?”

Danny perked up, reality sinking in, “yeah...he is...”

“You’re SUCH a little troublemaker.” Flack said under his breath.

She smiled at him, wryly. “He always plays with his right hand unless there’s something at stake, or a bet, or if there’s something in it for him... and then he switches to his left hand and wipes the table with you.” Maya laughed as Flack shot daggers from his intense blue eyes. “He taught me the same thing, I now play as badly with my left hand as I do with my right!”

Danny pointed accusingly at him... “you owe me fifty bucks!”

“I won that fair and square, you were playing against me, not just my right hand!”

“Just a word of advice, don’t ever let him break. You’ll never get to play, he’ll clear the table by himself!” She continued, “And it isn’t just pool, it’s pretty much any bar sport really, darts, tiddly-winks, ping-pong...” 

Jamie sat up straight. “Hey...”

Maya looked at her and then back at Flack incredulously. It didn’t take a detective to figure out what had clearly transpired between them.

“He also taught me how to skate...” she added, trying to change the subject, “we would save up our allowance, take the train into the city once a month or so, and spend the day in Manhattan. God knows my father would have never taken me. We’d go to see all the sights, and once he took me to Rockefeller Centre to go skating!”

Lindsay’s interest was piqued. “Where else did you go?”

“You name it! Central Park, Times Square, the Empire State Building,” Maya started to giggle, “we even snuck into Carnegie Hall once!”

“You snuck in?”

“Yeah. They were loading in some stuff and the door was open. I don’t know where the security guard was, probably having lunch, but we managed to get all the way to the stage and Junior... I mean... Don told me to sing, in the dark!” she broke out in laughter. “That’s how they found out we were there! The security guard grabbed Don so I bit his hand and we lit out of there as fast as we could! I don’t think we stopped running until we got back to the train station!” 

“Well, at least you can say you sang at Carnegie Hall!” Flack quipped.

“You know, I saved YOUR life that day,” She shot back, “your dad would have torn a strip off-a you if he had to pick you up at another precinct!”

“Actually, that might have been better...”

“Oh, yeah,” she conceded. “Maybe. Thank God we didn’t have to find out! Oh! And then there was the time we got to the Statue of Liberty!”

“That’s right, we climbed the stairs to the top!”

“That was tough, I don’t think I could do that today.” 

“Me neither.”

“Sure you could, if you were chasing a PERP!” She giggled.

“Only if there was an APB out on him!” He said, playing along.

“Or you recognized his Modus Operandi!” She bowled over, laughing, “I love it when we talk ‘cop’ talk!” She started to calm down again at the memory, “We used to have all these hand signals when we played ‘Manhunt’ so the other kids wouldn’t know what we were up to,” She demonstrated, “this meant go around,” she circled her finger in the air, “and this meant keep quiet and wait,” she touched her nose and put out her hand, and made a few more signals, “watch me, take your gun out, get rid of everyone.” 

“I think the other kids knew what we were saying.” Flack surmised.

“Well, in retrospect, they were pretty standard signals, but we had like a hundred of them and a dozen strategies we made up! They came in pretty handy, except when I said shoot, and he would get me,” she shook her head, “he was such a bad shot! I’d go home soaked!”

“I’m better now,”

“I should hope so! I think you did it on purpose so that you could see me in a wet t-shirt!”

“I know that’s why the other boys did it, I was just a bad shot.” He insisted amidst the group’s good-natured laughter.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Back in the lab, perched on a stool, Lindsay looked at crime scene pictures, frustrated, as Jamie walked over and dropped off Angela Alexis‘ files. “I cut Matt Johnston loose, I think he’s telling the truth.” She told her. “How are things going here?”

“There are epithelial cells on the sleeve of her jacket, I’m running it through CODIS now. The results from John’s blood alcohol level was much too high,” Lindsay shook her head adamantly, “which tells me that he was too wasted at the time of the murder to walk in a straight line, never mind chasing Angela into the alleyway and stabbing her.”

“And Dean Mitchell is left-handed, so that brings us back to square one.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

“That brings us back to square one?”

“No, do you remember what Maya said about Flack?”

Jamie smirked. “Maya said a lot of things about Flack.”

“She said he switches hands sometimes when he plays pool. I’ve seen him do other things with his right hand, too. Like answering the telephone.”

“Yeah... and he holds his gun with his right.” Realization dawned on Jamie, “Maybe he’s ambidextrous.”

“Or maybe just not a complete Lefty. It’s funny, but even though Danny’s right handed, he always puts his watch on with his left hand. It drives me crazy.” Lindsay laughed quietly to herself. “Every time we hold hands our watches clash. I’m going to end up smashing the glass one of these days.”

“Karen’s bloody footsteps came from around Angela’s right. So... Dean Mitchell must have grabbed the girl with his dominant hand when he yanked her away from the body,” Jamie demonstrated in the air, pulling the imaginary arm toward her. “which means he would have stabbed Angela with his right. We’ve been looking at this all wrong.”

Lindsay took off her lab coat with determination. “Let’s talk to Karen.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Kate Thompson’s not the stalker.” Mac informed Don as he entered the office.

“What do you mean?”

“She didn’t have access to Maya’s room. Besides the offerings were that of love, not hate.”

“Yeah, I wondered about that, she also mentioned when I was finally able to grill her at the hospital that she wouldn’t deign to give Maya the time of day.”

“That means her stalker’s still out there.” Mac surmised.

“I figured as much. Maya’s not happy about it, but I made her wear a vest.” Don added with a low chuckle as he sat down on Mac’s desk.

“That was a good idea,” Mac nodded, “at least until this is all over.”

“Did Jo get anything from the flowers?”

“There was a red hair, male DNA, but no hits in CODIS.”

“Red? Caleb has red hair.”

“Who’s Caleb?”

“He’s the assistant manager that took over as Maya’s handler.” Flack explained. “But they hate each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re always at each other’s throats.” He added, “I’ve never met him, but she complains that he never lets up on anything she does wrong.”

“How long has he been here?”

“He’s been here since her manager was murdered.” Flack continued, “They called him in from the New York office.”

Mac thought for a moment. “And you say they’re always at each other’s throats?”

“Yeah, there’s no love lost, there.”

“Or maybe there is.”

“Say what now?”

“Sometimes arguing is a way to get the girl’s attention,” Mac clarified, “like dipping her hair in the inkwell at school.”

“Inkwell?” Flack scowled, “How old are you really, Mac?”

“Hear me out,” continued Mac undaunted. “Caleb would have access to everything. Her hotel room, her schedules, her dressing room, from the beginning.”

“You know, Jo found out that the broken record in the dressing room was only available for management. I assumed Charles brought it in, but what if that was the ‘gift’?” Flack sat thoughtfully for a moment. “And Maya mentioned that Caleb often met up with them on the road.” He jumped up as he suddenly realized, “In fact, they’re at the theatre right now!”

“Both of them?”

“Yeah, they’ve been there since four o’clock!” Flack said over his shoulder as he bolted out of the office.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Karen sat in the interrogation room wide-eyed and worried. Detective Lovato seated herself on the other side of the table. “You told me that you accidentally walked through the blood when you ran across the body, do you care to rephrase that?” She pointed to the file beside her. “We have evidence that you were actually behind Angela Alexis at the time of her death.” She slammed the table with the palm of her hand, getting Karen’s full attention. “Depending on what you tell me today, we can either charge you as an accessory to murder, or mark you down as an innocent bystander.” 

Karen clasped her hands together, as if that would stop them from shaking. “I... I can’t.” She whispered, “He’ll kill me.”

“He can’t kill you if he’s in jail.”

“What if he gets out on bail?” Karen looked at Jamie, her eyes pleading. “Look, I know how this works.”

“We can protect you, if you tell the truth.” Jamie promised.

“OK,” She finally folded, “I was there, and it was all my fault. Dean was after me. He chased me down the street, and this Angela girl was walking towards her car. I begged her to take me somewhere safe.” She began to tear up, full of remorse. “Dean caught up with me before we could get in the car, and chased us into the alleyway. I thought that if I stayed behind her, he wouldn’t be able to get to me, but he grabbed my arm, and she scratched him with the car keys.” Her eyes opened wide, full of fear. “He went ballistic. Called her every name in the book. That’s when he stabbed her. She fell, and he picked up the keys, pulled me into the car, and we took off.”

“Where’s the knife, now?”

“In the middle of the Hudson River, but I can show you where he tossed it.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Maya fiddled with the blue vest, resisting the urge to just rip it off her body. She sighed as she remembered what Flack had told her when he escorted her home after the incident.

_____ 

“Don’t you think this is a little extreme?” She had protested, “you got the shooter.”

“You don’t know if she was working alone.” Flack explained as he pulled the shoulders up on the bullet proof vest he had grabbed from the trunk of his car and fastened the Velcro tightly. “There still might be someone else out there. Until she talks, we have to stay vigilant. Especially if you have a show tonight.”

“But it doesn’t go with anything I have.” She complained, “Y’know, it could at least say ‘Police’, or ‘Swat’ on it.”

Flack knew that she was going to be alright. As long as she was still able to joke, she was coping. “It’s either this, or you find something that matches red.” He answered dryly.

_____

“It’s either this or you find something that matches red...” she mimicked Flack sarcastically to herself as she struggled to zip up her gown. The vest still showed through. She reached for a black cape to cover her outfit, but it was too over-dramatic to wear throughout the entire performance. Just as she began to remove it, a quick rap sounded on her dressing room door.

“We’re almost ready for you.” Caleb informed her as he came into the room. “Where are you going?” He asked, noticing her cape.

“Nowhere.” She went to her desk to pick up her music. “I was just trying on some outfits.”

“I don’t want you wearing that.”

“I don’t care what you want.” Maya shot back, uncharacteristically defensive as she retied the cape in defiance. “It’s my show, and I can wear whatever I feel fit.”

Caleb strolled over to her closet and picked out a green gown. “Why don’t you wear this?”

Maya sighed impatiently as she noted that it was strapless, and there would be no way to hide the bullet-proof vest. “Because it’s not suitable. Why don’t you wear it?”

Don raced through the backstage door with his backup close behind. “Where’s Maya Alonzo?” He asked the security guard.

“In her dressing room,” he answered, indicating up the stairs, “talking with her manager.”

Don tried to hide the consternation on his face as he directed the uniformed officers to follow him quietly upstairs. 

Caleb threw the dress down on the couch and got in Maya’s face. “I hate how you treat me when I’m only looking out for your best interest!” He began to yell at her, “After all I’ve done for you?” He reached for something in his jacket pocket.

“What have you done for me?” Maya yelled back in frustration, “You haven’t done anything for me yet, you just got here!”

Don burst in through the open door. “Caleb O’Connor, you’re under arrest for the murder of Charles Martin. Put your hands where I can see them.” He demanded.

Caleb pulled out the stainless steel .25 automatic pistol he had hidden in his jacket pocket and quickly stepped behind Maya, grabbing her tightly and holding the gun to her head. “Leave us alone!”

Maya looked helplessly at Flack, frozen with fear. “What... What are you doing, Caleb?” She finally managed to stammer.

“Why don’t you tell her everything you’ve done for her, Caleb?” Don suggested trying to distract the man and perhaps even garner a confession from him.

“I gave you presents and flowers ever since we first met,” He told Maya, his voice wavering with emotion. “And you never returned my affection!”

“That was you?” Maya asked with disbelief, “Why didn’t you tell me? I never found out about it until yesterday!”

“That’s because Charles and that bitch Jen kept destroying my gifts!” He grumbled. “But I got him good!”

“Caleb...” She tried not to let him hear the fear in her voice as she glanced quickly at Flack. “I wish I had known, we could have been together all this time!” She grasped the arm that was holding her around her shoulders. Emboldened by the fact that she was still wearing her bullet proof vest, she turned herself around to face him. “Look at me. Why don’t you put down the gun and we can talk?” Caleb looked at all the policemen in the room nervously. Maya managed to step back slightly so that they were eye to eye, still holding on to his free hand. “They’ll all put their guns down too. Won’t you, Flack?” She said over her shoulder.

“You know I can’t do that, Maya.” Flack answered, his gun still pointed at Caleb.

“Sure you can.” She stepped between Caleb and Don. With her left hand, she signalled to Flack behind her back, first waving it, and then making a gun and pointing it to herself.

Flack understood immediately. “Alright men, put your guns down.” He complied, not letting go of his own weapon. The other policemen in the room looked at him puzzled, but did as they were told. 

“See?” Maya said to Caleb all the while not letting her gaze wane, “They’ll all do whatever I tell them. I’m the Star.” She tried to talk as calmly as possible, as if trying to coax a baby bird out of the nest. “Look at me. Don’t look at them, look at me. Let’s run away together, just you and me. We can go to the Conservatory and see the roses. You know how much I love roses.” She waived her hand toward the door so he could see. 

Flack nodded to the men at the door and they moved back to give them room. Caleb glanced over, unsure. “See? They’ll let us go. C’mon.” She forced a smile. “We can still catch the sunset if we hurry.” 

He lowered his gun slightly. Relieved he was no longer pointing it at her head, she took a deep breath as she took another step to her left, leading him toward the door. With Caleb finally in his line of sight, Flack fired. Maya gasped at the sudden sound and shut her eyes as she was splattered with blood. When she opened them again, Caleb was down on the ground, a large bullet hole through his left temple, staring ahead with unseeing eyes.  


Unable to look at the body, Maya turned away. Flack was right there to grab on to her. “You OK?” He asked, concerned. She began to nod, but ended up shaking her head instead, breaking down sobbing.

Flack wiped something grey from her cheek with his thumb. “What was that?” She asked.

“Brain matter.”

“Brains??” She cried out, alarmed, “I have brains on me?” Maya let out a piercing scream as she ran out of the room.

“She’s OK,” He told his men as he watched her disappear down the hall. “Tough... She’s... tough.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Jamie and Lindsay looked over the edge of the railing on the Washington Bridge and out toward the bustling Hudson River. “He threw it here,” Karen said, pointing out to the water. I remember because we had just passed the Little Red Lighthouse.”

“Wait,” Lindsay asked, “did he get out of the car?”

“No, he tossed it while he was driving.”

Jamie looked at her, puzzled. “What are you thinking?”

Lindsay looked up at the steadily setting sun and smiled wryly, “Let’s get some manpower down there.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Flack caught up with Maya in the restroom. She had discarded her hooded cape and bullet-proof vest and was washing her face vigorously. “How’re you doing?” He asked.

“I’ve been better. I think I’m going to throw up again.” She took a deep breath as she braced herself against the sink. “I wish...” she started.

“I know.” Flack read her mind. “It had to be done.”

Maya turned off the water. “At least you didn’t miss this time.” Shaking off the excess water, she began to look around, “You really have been practicing.”

Flack handed her a paper towel. “Told you.”

“Thanks.” She gave him a slight smile as he sat on the counter beside her. “I wasn’t sure if you remembered our strategy. After all, we made them up when we were eight.”

“Strategy number five. How could I forget?”

“You made me go through that phrase over and over again when we were kids.” She recited, “Look at me. Don’t look at them, look at me.”

“Hostage taking 101.” He got up and smiled, slyly. “You know, I saved YOUR life today.”

“I had a bullet proof vest on!” She protested as he took the wet paper towel from her and threw it in the garbage. 

Flack grimaced, “Which may not have worked at that close a range.”

Maya looked at him, shocked. She thought for a moment, considering how close to death she had come. “OK,” she conceded, “you win.”

“Finally!” He said, as he kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly.

____________________________________________________________________________________

“Tell me, Dean,” Lindsay asked the man sulking behind the table as Jamie and Mac watched through the two-way mirror. “How stupid do you have to be to throw a knife into the Hudson River and miss the water?” She showed him the knife in the evidence bag. “It took our men all of 20 minutes to find, covered in Angela Alexis’ blood and your fingerprints.”

Dean just hunkered down deeper in the chair. “I found it.” 

“Like you FOUND the car keys?” She mocked him, “You’re either the luckiest guy in the world or the stupidest.”

“What can I tell you? It was just lying there.”

“And then what? You took a little joyride in her car to dispose of it?” She picked the knife back up. “This knife and your DNA on the elbow of her coat when she scratched you with her car keys will be enough to send you up your own river for several decades. I hope you enjoyed your ride.”

Dean could tell the jig was up. “It was an accident.” He protested, unconvincingly. “She just got in the way.”

“In the way of what?” Lindsay wouldn’t let up. “Of you trying to stab your girlfriend?” She got in his face. “Because that would be the only reason you’d have a knife out in the alleyway.” She backed off a little. “Or maybe it was robbery?”

Dean couldn’t think straight. He picked the lesser offence. “Yeah, that’s it, I was trying to rob her. I wanted to scare her, that’s all.”

Lindsay grimaced. “Yeah, well, that’s bad news for you. See, fact of the matter is, if death occurs during the course of a felony it’s considered first degree murder, regardless of whether you meant it or not.”

Mac turned to Jamie in the observation room with a smirk. “She’s picked up some things from you and Flack.” He noted. 

Jamie smiled. “Yeah.” She said as she started out of the room, “That’s my cue.” Dean looked up as she entered the interrogation room. “Here are the crime photos you wanted.” She told Lindsay. 

“We don’t need them.” Lindsay informed her. “He just confessed to Felony Murder.”

“No. Wait!” Dean cried out desperately as Jamie came around the desk toward him. “I’ll tell you the truth!” He gave a sigh of relief as Jamie stopped in her tracks. “My girlfriend Karen and I were just having a little argument, and Karen ran over to this girl, trying to get her to help her get away. I couldn’t let her do that, so I chased them into the alleyway.” He began to show his true colours. “She should have minded her own business.” He said, angrily. “I grabbed Karen’s arm, and this bitch tells her she didn’t have to go with me, so I showed them the knife, and told them that she didn’t have a choice, if she knew what was good for her. Karen pulled back, and I accidentally stabbed the girl in the gut.”

“TWICE?” Jamie asked, contemptuously. “I might have given you the benefit of the doubt if you had stopped at once, but twice just screams intent.” She bent down and undid his handcuffs from under the table, firmly making him rise and fastening them behind his back.

“But I told you the truth!” He protested. 

“Sometimes truth ISN’T better than fiction.” Lindsay told him as Jamie led him away.

“Put him in a cell.” She told an officer as she handed him over. 

“That looks like a collar!” Don remarked as he came down the hall. 

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

“Huh?”

“Actually it was your friend, Maya that gave us the drop, with her left-handed story.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Don chuckled, “she doesn’t need any more encouragement. She already thinks she can be a cop, now that she helped wrap my case, too.”

“Really? How did it go?”

“Messy.” Don took a deep breath and changed the subject as they got to the break room. “Jamie,” He started.

Jamie looked up at him. This must be serious, he never called her ‘Jamie’, always ‘Lovato’, with his voice slightly mocking. “Everything OK?”

“Look, I don’t want you to sic your brothers on me, but I don’t think I can go with you to your folks for Thanksgiving.”

“Are we getting too close?” They had this conversation before.

“I don’t think I’m ready.” He held her in his arms, not willing to let go yet. “No pressure?”

Jamie smiled as she kissed him, just happy it wasn’t goodbye. “No pressure.” She would gladly give him all the time he needed.


	5. EPILOGUE

Maya took a bow. Half the team was in the audience. Danny and Lindsay, Flack and Jamie, Sheldon, Jo, and Mac. “I want to thank everyone for being so understanding when we had to reschedule yesterday’s concert. There’s someone I’d like to introduce to all of you. He’s the head of the team that helped... ” Maya paused trying not to bring everyone down. “That helped me. Mac Taylor? Could you come up here please?”

Mac couldn’t disguise the surprise on his face as he got up somewhat bewildered, amidst polite applause. Maya nodded to one of her band members as she turned and shook Mac’s hand. “Thank you Detective Taylor. I was told you play a mean bass!” The band member handed him his guitar. “Can you join me in the last song?” She whispered the instructions to him and Mac took his place in the band as she began to sing.  
“I love New York in June,  
How about you?”  
With a mischievous look in her eye, she continued,  
“I love to read good books,  
Can’t get my fill...  
And Don Flack Junior’s looks  
Give me a thrill!”

She almost couldn’t finish the song as she watched Flack lower his head, blushing. He shook his head and mouthed ‘troublemaker’, as the rest of the group turned, delighting at his reaction to the obvious lyrical substitution. 

As the song ended to thunderous applause and shouts of ‘ENCORE’, Mac beamed from behind the guitar, clearly in his element.

THE END


End file.
